Have you ever thought there should be a law requiring federal agencies to consider reducing the economic impact of regulations on small businesses? In fact, there is such a law. It’s called the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980. 
 
Work by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy to get agencies to comply with the law has “saved small businesses billions of dollars in regulatory costs,” according to the Office of Advocacy website, advocacy.sba.gov.  

Working with businesses with fewer than 500 employees as well as non-profit organizations and small government jurisdictions, the Office of Advocacy monitors the development of regulations and their projected impact on small entities.  
 
The office’s 10 U.S. regional advocates support small businesses and learn about their challenges by interacting with owners, state and local governments, chambers of commerce and community leaders. Liaising between business owners and the government while also conducting research and policy analysis, the SBA Office Advocacy works to effectively represent small business viewpoints. 

Resources available on the Office of Advocacy website include: 

  • Small Business Profiles for the States and Territories 
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Small Business 
  • Small Business Office of Advocacy Brochure 
  • Office of Advocacy Background Paper 

U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee Chair Roger Williams delivered the keynote address at the AAO 2025 Professional Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., urging AAO members to stay engaged with his committee and to also share their small business experiences and challenges with the SBA Office of Advocacy.  

Help the Office of Advocacy Learn about Orthodontic Practice Business Challenges
Whether you currently own a practice or plan to be an owner, you can connect with an Office of Advocacy regional advocate or attend a roundtable or business forum. These national events take place online on Teams and often address specialized business topics or sectors. 
 
To learn more, visit advocacy.sba.gov and/or follow AdvocacySBA on Facebook, @AdvocacySBA on X (Twitter) and U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Advocacy on LinkedIn.